Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Nepal is actively engaged in rescuing its citizens from Gulf countries and ensuring the safety of millions of Nepalese residing in the region.
Key Points
- Nepal is actively rescuing over 5,000 citizens from Gulf countries due to escalating tensions in West Asia.
- The Nepalese government is committed to the safety of approximately 3 million Nepalese residing in the Gulf region.
- An Emergency Response Team has been formed to assess the situation and recommend actions for the safety and repatriation of Nepalese citizens.
- The Nepalese government has started preparations for the repatriation of citizens residing in high-risk zones in the Gulf region.
Nepal is actively engaged in carrying out rescue operations for more than 5,000 of its citizens working in different Gulf countries amid escalating tensions in West Asia, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Also, Minister for Foreign Affairs Balananda Sharma said the government is committed to the safety of around 3 million Nepalese, who are presumed to be residing in different countries in the Gulf region.
More than 5,000 Nepalese working in various countries of West Asia have registered their names in the online application form maintained by the ministry's consular section, informing that they want to return home, according to Lok Bahadur Chhetri, spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry.
The government is actively engaged in maintaining their safety and carrying out rescue operations for them, the spokesperson said during a press meet at the ministry's office.
Impact of Regional Conflict on Nepalese Citizens
The ministry also said 15 Nepali nationals were injured in the missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran. Six were reportedly injured in Israel.
Fourteen of those injured have already returned to work after receiving treatment, while one person is still undergoing treatment and is in stable condition, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported, quoting Ramkaji Khadka, joint secretary at the ministry.
Government Response and Repatriation Efforts
The government formed an Emergency Response Team led by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai last week to present recommendations after studying the emerging situation in the Gulf region following the escalation of tension in the wake of joint attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran.
The government has already started preparatory works regarding the repatriation of Nepalese residing in the risk zone, Minister Sharma told a press meet.
The US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran since February 28. Into its 12th day on Wednesday, the war has extended to almost the entire Gulf region with Iran's retaliation.
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